FED:MPs says miners 'pussy-whipped' by PM

A federal Liberal MP has accused the mining industry of allowing itself to be "pussy-whipped" by Prime Minister
Julia Gillard
, according to media reports.

Don Randall
made the comment during a Friends of Mining lunch at Parliament House on Wednesday, which was attended by about 50 coalition MPs and senators, the West Australian newspaper said on Friday.

After hearing from the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies chief executive Simon Bennison and Cazaly Resources executive Clive Jones, Mr Randall rose to berate the industry for being too nice to Resources Minister Martin Ferguson and lacking fight against the federal government over its planned mining tax.

"The problem is that the mining industry is being pussy-whipped by Julia Gillard," the WA MP told guests, according to witnesses.

The newspaper quoted one Liberal MP as saying the choice of language was disgraceful.

Another said Mr Randall's comment was particularly ill-advised, given Labor's recent accusations of entrenched misogyny within the coalition.